Designing Thermal Insulators & Conductors Interactive Simulation | Physical Science | Grades 6–8

This Interactive Simulation has grades 6–8 Middle School Physical Science students run a hands-on classroom model of Designing Thermal Insulators & Conductors.

Driving question: "How do different barrier materials influence the rate of thermal energy transfer from a container of hot water over time?" Objective: Design, construct, and systematically evaluate competing container insulation prototypes by measuring water temperature decline and comparing thermal decay rates.

What's inside: objective and background, a materials list (Four identical 250-mL aluminum testing…; Sheet of multi-layer cellular plastic…; Sheet of compressed natural wool…; Sheet of double-wall corrugated craft…), an 8-step protocol, a data table, 4 analysis questions, and teacher notes.

Resource type: Interactive Simulation (.docx). Format: editable Microsoft Word lab handout with approximately 640 words (~4 pages).

Classroom use: a team investigation in a Middle School Physical Science course. Grades 6–8.

Format note: These files are delivered in Microsoft Office formats (Word and/or PowerPoint). If you open a worksheet that includes tables in Apple Pages or another non-Microsoft app, table formatting may not display correctly. For best results, use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (or upload the file to Google Docs). If you run into any formatting issues, contact us and we can send a PDF version.